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I am a PhD student who focuses on the brain mechanisms involved in imagining ourselves move.

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How can mental practice improve your game?

In 10 seconds? Mental practice – purposely imagining yourself performing an action without actually doing it – can be an effective training tool for those who can’t log as many training hours as the pros.

Don’t believe it? Imagining the visual and physical sensations associated with movement has been shown to activate most of the same brain areas as actual movement.

But surely physical practice must be the best? Correct. It is unlikely that mental practice alone will lead to the perfect golf swing, but when it is combined with physical practice, competitive athletes find it provides important benefits for their performance. (read more)

So how can you integrate mental practice into your training?

Combine it with physical practice — Most studies show that combining physical and mental practice is the best way to gain the most benefits.

Be specific! — Try to be as specific as you can about the movement you imagine. Studies have shown that mental and physical practice are specific to a given movement pattern and its’ context. (read more)

Imagine from your perspective — Studies have shown that imagery from a first person perspective tends to activate more brain areas associated with movement, making the training more effective. (read more)